There are different ways you can file an EEO complaint. If you want DHR EEO to investigate, you can submit a complaint to DHR EEO through e-mail, phone, U.S. mail, or in person. You can also submit complaints to your home department’s EEO or Human Resources office. Additionally, you may file your complaint externally with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), or through your union (if represented). Read the below documents to learn more about: (1) What is an EEO Complaint; (2) How to File an EEO Complaint; and (3) What to Expect When Filing an EEO Complaint.

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Ways to File a Complaint with the City

Email Complaint

Address to:
DHR-EEO@sfgov.org

Describe the complaint, including:

  • Name and Pronoun
  • Preferred contact information
  • Job title and department
  • Issue and basis for your complaint
  • Date of alleged discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory conduct
  • Any witnesses to the alleged conduct
  • Documentation to support your complaint

Call the EEO Helpline

Phone Numbers:
(415) 557-4900 or
(415) 557-4810 (TTY)

DHR EEO staff are available to assist you in completing your complaint.

Mail Complaint

Address to:
Director, Department of Human Resources
Attention: EEO Division
1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94013

Describe the complaint, including:

  • Name and Pronoun
  • Preferred contact information
  • Job title and department
  • Issue and basis for your complaint
  • Date of alleged discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory conduct
  • Any witnesses to the alleged conduct
  • Documentation to support your complaint

Walk-In Complaint

Address of DHR EEO Office:
1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94013

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Home Department

You may file complaints with their home departments' human resources groups, which will subsequently contact DHR EEO.

Alternative: File a Complaint Externally

Federal Government

Visit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Complaints of employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation may also be filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

State Government

Visit California Civil Rights Department

Complaints of employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation may also be filed with the California Civil Rights Department.

Your Union (if represented)

You may elect to file a complaint of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation through the grievance process outlined in your applicable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Please note that most MOUs contain an Election-of-Remedy clause, which state that you must elect to pursue your complaint either through the City’s internal complaint process or through the grievance and arbitration procedures detailed in the MOU. The election generally cannot be changed. You should contact your union for more details.

Retaliation against any City employee, job applicant, intern, volunteer or contractor who reports, files a complaint of, or otherwise opposes conduct they reasonably believe to be discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, or assists in the investigation of a complaint, is also prohibited.

Possible Remedies

If the investigation establishes that you have been subjected to conduct in violation of the City's or SFMTA’s EEO policy, you may be entitled to a remedy. Remedies available through the City’s EEO complaint process differ from remedies available through the legal process (e.g., a lawsuit). Remedies available through the City’s complaint process are make-whole remedies that do not include compensation for punitive damages, attorney’s fees, or pain and suffering. You can receive a remedy that puts you in the place you would have been if the wrongful conduct (such as discrimination or retaliation) had not occurred. Examples of make-whole remedies include, but are not limited to, restoration of leave balances or compensation for time off taken due to discrimination or harassment, corrective action for those who violate the EEO Policy, or appointment to a position denied due to discrimination or retaliation. In the event that the City enters into a settlement agreement with you, that settlement agreement must be approved via DocuSign.